Battleground Head 2 Head!

With WWE’s “Battleground” Pay-Per-View right around the corner, Jim and Tom come together back in the print format here on Two Spot Monkeys for Head 2 Head ahead of this weekend’s event.

To catch readers up, be you regulars or first timers, this is a pick’em competition where we pick against one another in an effort to have the most success in the outcomes of WWE PPV matches.  And what is on the line, you might ask?  Well, this year it has been recently decided that the loser of this competition will be shaved bald and bear that baldness at a wrestling show we enjoy together as friends at some point in 2014!  Of course, embarrassing photos will be likely tweeted out (@twospotmonkeys) FOLLOW US! & posted here on the blog.

Jim has a strong lead over Tom with 4 events left in the PPV year for WWE, 45-14 to 36-23.  The time is now for Tom to make up any ground over Jim – let’s see how the picks play out!

 

Kickoff Show

Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow

TOM: Interesting match on paper.  Two guys that seemed to be in really high places on the card at this point from where they seemed to be headed earlier this year.  This one can be considered a pick’em simply because neither has really been given a lot of shine on TV as of late.  I still think that WWE doesn’t mind Sandow losing because it is going to give him a load of opponents when he eventually cashes in.  Dolph Ziggler gets the win.                   

JIM:  Wow, do both guys deserve better than being on the pre-show of this “B” level pay per view?  You’re darn right they do.  Of course, they are better off than US Champion, Dean Ambrose, who can’t even get a match on this card.  Anyways, they continue to book Sandow to lose and hope it will “create challengers” for when he eventually wins the World Title with his Money in the Bank briefcase.  As we’ve mentioned before, we both feel this is terrible booking, but WWE falls back on it far too often with Money in the Bank holders.  Dolph on the other hand has apparently been in the dog house lately and has not been anywhere close to the World Title scene.  He’s a bit player in the ongoing feud with Triple H and Randy Orton, but certainly not featured there either.  Hard to pick this one as I think both can use the win, but since Sandow keeps losing to set up challengers, maybe Dolph can get the win here and become one of those challengers down the road.

Kofi Kingston vs. Bray Wyatt

TOM: There is no stopping the Wyatt train!  He beats Kofi here on his continued strong push.  I am excited for what should be a really, really good match.

JIM:  I think this will be a fun match, and really wish they’d push Kingston alot more than they do, but this is another of those wins to continue to get Bray Wyatt and his family over, so Wyatt wins here without question!  

Intercontinental Title Match

Curtis Axel (c) vs. R-Truth                 

TOM: I think it is really interesting that instead of putting Axel in a program with CM Punk, which would have done more for Axel than these one-off title defenses, he is being paired with babyfaces fans get behind and want to see win, while he continues his I-C title reign.  That trend continues here.  Axel retains.

JIM:  Truth gets this shot by virtue of beating Axel on Monday night in a Non-Title match after Axel was distracted by CM Punk’s music.  Axel is obviously behind Ryback when it comes to the pecking order of Heyman’s Guys, so I wouldn’t be totally shocked to see a title change come soon, but honestly, with the way R-Truth has been used lately, I think it would be a mistake to put it on him, I’d rather see them go back to Kofi Kingston, or The Miz who could quickly get it to Fandango or someone else.  So, Axel gets the win here.  

World Heavyweight Title – Battleground Hardcore Rules Match

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam

TOM: This match really plays into the “Hardcore History” of RVD and I imagine it will make a for good spectacle of a match, even though these two could get along just fine in a match with any gimmicks.  I’ve learned my Del Rio lesson far too many times before, but seemed to be cursed by the matches I pick with him involved.  Here is hoping that ends here: Del Rio wins and retains.

JIM:  Hardcore rules means this will be a fun plunder match, but honestly, if RVD is leaving after Battleground, which has been the rumor, no chance he wins here.  He could win and then immediately drop it to Sandow, but again, if he’s leaving, what’s the point?  Del Rio keeps it and moves on.  Wouldn’t be shocked to see Ricardo Rodriguez turn on RVD here either, unless he is going to be teamed up with Rey Mysterio or something.  

Damien Sandow’s Money in the Bank Briefcase Cash-In:

TOM: I think it could be a good time as ever to do it, but just don’t see it happening.  No cash-in at Battleground.

JIM:  No, I don’t see him cashing in here, I don’t see what it would do at this point for him, so he holds onto the briefcase for a while longer!

WWE Divas Title

AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella

TOM: This seems to be a really emotional invested issue and I like those types of storylines.  I do think it is interesting too, that the WWE is really playing off of the reality elements from Total Divas and going another level in blurring the lines.  Seems like they’ve really been making fans wait and wait for the pay-offs of issues of late, but Sunday seems like a really good place to cash-in on that pay-off.  Brie Bella wins the Divas title.                       

JIM:  I can go either way with this matchup.  Both Tom and I have been feeling for a while that Brie Bella would eventually be the one to unseat AJ Lee as the Divas Champion, and I certainly still think that is likely the direction they’ll go.  This could be the time they go there, but they have just added Tamina to the AJ Lee act (as almost the Diesel to AJ Lee’s Shawn Michaels), so with that development, I think it’s too soon now to take the title off of Lee.  Not to mention, I am a huge AJ Lee fan and think they should leave it on her long term until they bring up Paige, but, that’s just me!  AJ Lee retains here!  

CM Punk vs. Ryback

TOM: A year ago or close to it, you had Ryback as the babyface chasing Punk for the WWE Title.  A year later, the roles are reversed in terms of character and there is no title on the line, however there is a lot of good storyline here as well.  WWE has done their best to me in getting Ryback to be a really jerk and bully, plus it doesn’t hurt to be aligned as a Paul Heyman henchman as well.  I think Punk is so over that he could lose plenty of times in this feud and it would not hurt him.  With that thinking and knowing there is a lot left to this feud beyond Sunday, my pick is that Ryback wins and I expect Paul Heyman involved down the stretch.

JIM:  Another match I can go a number of ways with.  Punk got to hit the GTS on Axel to accomplish phase one of his plan.  Beating Ryback is stage 2, but I think that might be too quick for it to happen here at Battleground.  I see this ending at Survivor Series as well, so you still have Hell in a Cell before then, and I could definitely see Punk vs. Ryback in the Cell in a rematch from last year, this time with Heyman in Ryback’s corner.  So, to get there, we’ve got to have Ryback somehow defeat Punk, which I think he will do.  Remember that he had Punk’s number a year ago too, and Punk always escaped because of Heyman’s help.  I can see Heyman bringing that up on Monday as well if Ryback wins!

Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes & Goldust - Rhodes wins, they get their jobs back, if they lose, Dusty Rhodes is fired

TOM: Of all of the matches on this card, this one has me really excited.  WWE has just done a really great job (sense a theme here?) with this angle and match.  The emotional ties created are very real and can really draw people in.  It has done so with me, for sure.  I feel like there is a lot left to occur with these teams and the other players involved…possibly culminating at Survivor Series as I suggested in the last REACT post.  My pick is for Cody & Goldust to win and get back into WWE.

JIM:  This should be ALOT of fun, and a match that easily could be the match of the night if given some time.  It certainly has enough storyline backing to it to add to the drama.  I’m glad to see Goldust back for a short run here, and hope he sticks around as he was great against Orton a few weeks back.  I also wouldn’t mind seeing a Goldust vs. Cody feud down the road too (have Goldust get jealous of Cody’s success or something).  Anyways, I’m getting ahead of myself here.  I think the fact that the tag titles aren’t on the line here telegraphs the ending, which is the right one, the Rhodes boys get the win and re-join WWE.  I see a Survivor Series Elimination Tag in November of Bryan, Goldust, Cody & Big Show against Orton and the Shield, so this helps get us there.  

WWE Title – Decision Match

Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton

TOM: The forces of Triple H, Stephanie and The Shield are all in favor of Randy Orton and against Daniel Bryan.  He is the ultimate babyface and the odds never seem to be for him.  His last month after being stripped of the title has only seen him get more over (which is amazing because people are buying the whole story and not turning on it!) and they want the ultimate pay-off and Bryan to get his comeuppance once and for all.  Unfortunately I do not see that happening in this chapter of the story on Sunday.  Randy Orton to win and get the WWE Title again, keeping Bryan chasing and fans hungering for it and hoping for a Hell in a Cell payoff!

JIM:  This is billed as the Decision match.  Yeah, I don’t buy it.  I think this match will again be marred in some sort of controversy leading to a final match at Hell in a Cell (again, likely in the Cell) between the two.  To keep up with their last few months of booking though, I think Bryan will win the title and then again be stripped of it on Monday night.  They just seem to be on that kick lately, and I think it continues here.  So, while I expect it to be another 1 day reign, I see Bryan winning the title here, perhaps after some interference from The Big Show.

Night of Champions REACT!

Well, the Head 2 Head competition rolls on after Night of Champions, and thanks to a screwy DQ finish in the World Title bout, Jim accomplished a 7-1 record for Night of Champions, while Tom came in at 4-4.  That extends Jim’s lead to a whopping 9 matches, with Jim having a 45-14 record to Tom’s 36-23.  We still have four shows left this year with Battleground, Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series and TLC, so Tom isn’t out of it yet, but he needs to go on a big hot streak, and soon!  Remember, we announced on the Night of Champions Head 2 Head podcast that this year’s Head 2 Head competition is a Hair vs. Hair competition!  So, whoever loses will shave their head completely bald before Tom and Jim attend their first wrestling show together in 2014!  Let’s get to our reactions to what took place at Night of Champions.   

Jim’s React

Night of Champions came off as a rather forgettable show, made even more so by what happened on Monday night, but more on that in a minute. 

No shock that the Prime Time Players won the Tag Team Turmoil, as both Tom and I said, it was the only thing that made any sense, so glad to see they went that direction. 

Adding Curtis Axel vs. Kofi Kingston made sense, as the gimmick for Night of Champions is that every title is defended, so I liked that, and Axel and Kingston have pretty good chemistry in the ring.  If they let him (and they seem hell bent on not letting him), Axel could help bring some prestige back to the IC Title in that he can have good athletic matches, and it could get back to having that be what the IC Title is all about.  Kingston would be a great opponent to continue to do that with.  We’ll see what they do now though.

I actually liked having AJ make Natalya tap in the Divas match, as Natalya had been getting a bunch of wins lately, so having AJ make her tap made AJ look that much stronger as a character and as a competitor, which she should in the current storyline.  I love having AJ as Divas Champ, and she can keep the belt as long as she wants in my opinion.  There were pictures of her recently with the old Women’s Championship, which I think would make a TON of sense if she brought back that belt, saying she didn’t want to be a “Diva”, she is a “Real Woman”.  Good stuff.  Maybe a way to bring Paige up to the main roster too...but, we can talk about that more another time.  She’d fit the “anti-diva” thing to a T!

The World Heavyweight Title match ended so weakly.  I don’t know why they didn’t just have Del Rio make RVD tap, other than they want to keep it going and obviously didn’t want to put the World Title on RVD.  Dumb finish, although lucky for me, as I get the “W” for our Head 2 Head event though RVD didn’t win the title.  Honestly, I was sure I’d be wrong after I made that pick, so it was total luck in my favor. 

The Miz vs. Fandango in a feud no one cares about.  Yawn.  Man, did Fandango lose all his steam fast or what?

The Axel/Heyman vs. Punk match was exactly what I thought it would be.  Ryback coming in as the new Heyman guy works, as Ryback’s weakness is his promos by far, so having Heyman with him can only help.  It will be interesting to see how they go forward with Axel after this as well.  I loved the promo from Heyman on Monday, as it fit his almost mafia boss like character perfectly.  I love everything Heyman is doing right now, so this all works for me.  And some day, Punk will get his final revenge, and it will be awesome to watch.  Heyman also deserves credit for taking the beating he did before Ryback’s interference as well!

Ambrose/Ziggler was good, and these guys could have a great feud if it’s allowed to continue.  While I think Ziggler should be in the main event picture, if he ever gets back there, Ambrose hanging with him in this feud (and beating him) would do a lot to easily elevate Ambrose as well. 

The tag title match was about what we could expect.  PTP get some hope, but in the end, it’s the Shield reigning supreme as they have for most of their run! 

The WWE Title match was good and I like that there wasn’t a ton of gaga (they saved that for Monday).  Was surprised to see Bryan win the belt but the minute the fast count happened I knew he’d be stripped of it on Monday, saw that coming a mile away.  I am glad they didn’t just hand it back to Orton though.  Obviously Scott Armstrong was doing the bidding of either Triple H or Vince McMahon and his “they caught us Daniel” was orchestrated by them as well.  So, eventually Bryan will win it back and get the big moment.  I hope they haven’t cut the legs out from under him too much before that though.  

Tom’s React

Man, man, man…I can just hear the clippers now and feel the razor dragging across my head, watching my hair fall to the floor!

I am a competitor through and through, so I won’t give up and I think if you’ve followed and listened to Jim and I do our Head 2 Head podcasts it will be really interesting to see the way our picks play out with the final four pay-per-view events this year as I do what I can to break even or surpass Jim.

I did not attend this show as I thought I might and boy, am I glad.  Reading the results, I would have been SUPER angry for buying a ticket to this show or purchasing the pay-per-view (and I will admit that I was tempted with an impulse buy last minute!) with what went down and then what transpired on Monday night.

On one hand, I absolutely love the angle and the heat they are putting on The McMahon’s and Randy Orton and of course, the way that it continues to just get Daniel Bryan over more and more and more.  When the “real” pay-off occurs here, it should be good and should be special.

On the opposite side, you have to wonder how WWE feels about the good will with fans (or do they care at all?) when they give them a great moment that Bryan wins, only to make it nullified the next night on Raw?  I know how I felt and I did not invest financially.  The ending of Raw was still special and made for a great visual moment, but WWE needs to be careful about the goodwill of fans when it comes to those scenarios.

Taking this scenario and the other overlays with the McMahon angles, I would really love to see a Survivor Series match of Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, Goldust/Dustin Rhodes and The Primetime Players vs. Randy Orton, The Shield of Ambrose, Reigns & Rollins and a reluctant Big Show.  I imagine that would be really, really good and an effective progression in the storyline.  We will see if anything close to that happens.

Other than those comments, I have little else to React to regarding the show.  I do think that the RVD finish was bad and screwy (more than just the fact that it helped Jim increase his lead!) and the fact it occurred in Detroit, MI and RVD being a “hometown” guy is just bad.  Everything else made sense in terms of how it played out, even if my picks did not align.

I cannot wait to get back on the “horse” and pick against Jim for Battleground!

Thanks for reading!  Be sure to like Two Spot Monkeys on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @twospotmonkeys  - There are big shows this weekend with ROH crowning their next World Champion and EVOLVE having a NYC area doubleshot, highlighted by what likely will be the feud blow-offs of the AR Fox vs. Ricochet and Johnny Gargano-Rich Swann feuds.

Jim and I will be back in some capacity next week to chime in on those things – Have a great weekend!

Night of Champions Head 2 Head!

Check out our latest podcast as Jim & Tom go Head 2 Head about Night of Champions this weekend on PPV!  You can find it on iTunes, or click on the player located to the right here on the blog.  Also, it is available through TalkShoe, by checking out our page there by clicking HERE!  Let us know what you think of our picks!

As always, be sure to "Like" us on Facebook, and also follow us on Twitter by following @twospotmonkeys!

Two Spot Monkeys First Annual Fantasy Wrestler Draft!

Check out our latest podcast as Jim & Tom enter a fantasy world where they get to draft 15 wrestlers each and create their own national company with TV and all!  Not only will they draft their initial rosters, but they will also lay out their first "dream card" for their "new promotions"!  You can find it on iTunes, or click on the player located to the right here on the blog.  Also, it is available through TalkShoe, by checking out our page there by clicking HERE!  Let us know what you think of our picks and our cards!

As always, be sure to "Like" us on Facebook, and also follow us on Twitter by following @twospotmonkeys!

NXT: Season One - Where Are They Now?

I thought I would start a new series here on Two Spot Monkeys and take a look back at the rookies we were introduced to through NXT in the first four seasons of the show.  Since it started in February of 2010, NXT alum have gone on to win 18 titles in WWE, and for some of the competitors, more titles certainly seem to be in their future.  Yet, for others, NXT was as high as they’d ever reach (at least as of this writing) in the world of pro wrestling.  So, without any further adieu, let’s take a look back at Season One of NXT and where those competitors are now!  

Michael Tarver - Tarver was mentored by Carlito on Season 1 of NXT.  He was the first competitor to be eliminated during the season as well, as he refused to participate in the rookie challenges as he wasn’t there to perform “menial tasks”.  He of course debuted along with the rest of the NXT Season 1 rookies in the Nexus, but was never a featured member of that group really.  He sustained a groin injury and was written out of the group.  In 2011 he started appearing randomly in backstage segments on Raw and Smackdown, just sort of lurking in the shadows, but nothing ever came of it.  Finally in June of 2011, he was released from WWE.  He currently works for Florida Underground Wrestling, where as of now, he is currently the champion.  

Daniel Bryan - Bryan was of course famously mentored by The Miz.  Bryan never won a match on NXT, however he did get the pin in an 8 on 4 handicap match on Raw, with the other NXT rookies, pinning Santino Marella.  Even though Bryan had his struggles on NXT, there is no question at this point, he is the biggest star to come off not only season one of NXT, but any season the show ever had.  Bryan is a former US Champion, Tag Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, and WWE Champion and is currently the protagonist in the biggest storyline going in WWE today as he battles Randy Orton and the McMahon family.  

Skip Sheffield - Sheffield was mentored by William Regal in Season One and showed off his immense power.  He was billed as something of a hick, with a cowboy hat and all.  He was the first wrestler to be eliminated by the poll results.  He of course returned with the Nexus in July, but unfortunately in August of that year, broke his ankle badly and was out until April of 2012 when he returned as Ryback.  He has since become a member of the mid to upper mid card, including a feud with John Cena over the WWE where many people felt (myself included) that they could really “make” Ryback by putting him over for the title.  Alas, they didn’t do that and it appears now he’s trying to be WWE’s version of Bully Ray.  Something tells me that won’t work out as well for him as it has for Ray.

Darren Young - Young was mentored by CM Punk, though they never quite seemed to get on the same page.  Young has of course gone on to become one of the Prime Time Players with Season 2 alum, Titus O’Neil.  They seemed poised for a tag title run a while back, but the trigger never got pulled.  With his recent coming out as a gay man, and the babyface push that seems to have garnered for he and O’Neil, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them eventually dethrone the Shield, though I don’t see that happening anytime soon given the Shield’s involvement in the top angle right now.

Heath Slater - Slater was mentored by Christian in season one.  Though he’s basically part of a comedy act now in 3MB, Slater has won the WWE Tag Team Titles on 3 occasions with fellow Season 1 alum, Justin Gabriel.  Slater was someone I thought would do really well, and I thought had a little Chris Jericho in him, but it seems he is destined for the lower midcard comedy role at this point, as I’m not sure how you’d make 3MB anything more than a joke now.  I see Slater as wasted opportunity.  

Justin Gabriel - The high flying Gabriel was mentored by Matt Hardy in Season 1.  Gabriel made it all the way to the finals, but finished in 3rd place.  Gabriel has carved out a nice niche for himself as a midcard babyface who gets some good reactions due to his high flying and his picture perfect 450 splash.  As I mentioned before, he’s won the WWE Tag Team Titles 3 times with Heath Slater, and seemed poised for a possible run at them again with Tyson Kidd, before Kidd blew out his knee in January of this year.  Gabriel seems in position that if they ever wanted to move him into the IC or US Title picture they could, but they don’t seem like they want to do that either.

David Otunga - Otunga finished 2nd in Season 1 of NXT, being mentored by R-Truth.  He’s gone on to a better career than I’d have imagined he would as I find him very limited in the ring.  He’s a two time former WWE Tag Team Champion, holding it once with John Cena (for one day) and again with Michael McGuillicutty (now Curtis Axel).  He has been featured many times in an advisor role for people, playing off of his law degree that he legitimately holds.  I know they like keeping him around because he’s connected with Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, but seriously, I have no idea why they keep paying him.  It’s time to cut their losses with Otunga in my eyes.

Wade Barrett - The winner of Season 1 of NXT, Barrett was mentored by Chris Jericho.  Barrett has gone on to be a main player for most of his time in WWE, including three reigns as the Intercontinental Champion, and main eventing PPV’s against John Cena for the WWE Title.  He was even rumored to be in line for a Money in the Bank win about a year ago, but sadly injured himself in a match and had to miss significant time, which has cut into his push somewhat.  Barrett is in the mid to upper mid card right now, and could easily get a push up to the Main Event level anytime they wish.  Personally, I hope it’s soon, he deserves it.  

So, there you have it.  A look back at Season One of NXT.  Only one of the eight men from that season no longer works for WWE, so, perhaps in that case, it was a successful season.  It certainly brought Daniel Bryan to the main roster, as well as Wade Barrett and a group of solid midcard acts.  I’ll be back from time to time taking a look at the other seasons of NXT as well to see where those competitors are now.  Join us again as we look at “Where are they now?”

SummerSlam REACT!

SummerSlam is in the books, and Tom and Jim are here to take a look back at the 2^nd biggest PPV of the year for WWE!  Before we get to that though, a quick update on the Head 2 Head standings for this year.  Tom and Jim both went 6-3 this time around, so, that brings the totals for the year to Jim leading with a 38-13 record and Tom coming in at 32-19!  Still a 6 match lead for Jim as we head towards Night of Champions in September! 

With that said, lots happened at SummerSlam, so let’s take a look at how it all shook out! 

JIM’S REACT:  I thought SummerSlam was a thumbs up show for sure!  Great stuff from top to bottom, and if you ordered the show and saw it, I would be surprised if you didn’t enjoy the show as a whole.  That doesn’t mean there might not be things you didn’t like about it, but still, as a whole, a thumbs up for me. 

The opener on the Kickoff show was well done, and I suspected (as I mentioned in the podcast) that RVD could get a DQ win, and sure enough he did.  Only wish I’d have made that my official pick so I could have extended the lead on Tom even more!  Makes sense to do the DQ since they were apparently going to be setting up RVD in the World Title picture on Monday.  Good work, and Ambrose continues to show that he will be a major player for WWE for years to come.  Little surprised that the interaction between Show/RVD/Henry and The Shield didn’t lead to a 6 man either right then, or later on during the PPV however. 

I thought the Ring of Fire match between Bray Wyatt and Kane was good for what it was meant to do.  These matches tend to be limited in their in ring possibilities, and sure enough, that was the case here.  But, Wyatt came off super creepy, and the combination of Rowan and Harper proved that they’ll do whatever it takes to protect Wyatt and help further his cause.  Right after the pin there was a GREAT shot of Wyatt with the lighting and fire going and his eyes rolled back that they should be sure to add to any videos for him…gave off a creepy vibe and that’s what they want.  I liked the way they wrote Kane out of the storylines now for a while too since he’s off to film “See No Evil 2”.  Taking out a monster like Kane is a great first step for the Wyatt Family!

 

Rhodes vs. Sandow was really good and if these two guys aren’t feuding over the World Heavyweight Title in the next 12-16 months, something has gone seriously wrong.  Tom and I both have been big supporters of Cody Rhodes for a long time, and it’s nice to see him FINALLY getting the push he deserves.  Sandow has been awesome in his role as well, and is the perfect man to be holding the briefcase, yet still losing matches.  Normally I hate that booking strategy, and they have to be careful with it, as you want to keep Sandow strong…but because of his character, it works out ok.  Rhodes winning totally cleanly was something that surprised me a bit (I expected the win, but thought it would be more of a roll up kind of thing), but I liked this match a lot, and it elevates Rhodes even more in my eyes!

Del Rio vs. Christian was a great back and forth match, and both play their roles so well.  A bit surprised to not see Ricardo Rodriguez make his return here, but as we saw on Monday, he’s apparently playing Fonzie 2.0 for Rob Van Dam now.  I don’t have a ton to say on this match, except that I hope this isn’t the start of Christian fading into the background again or anything, as I have really enjoyed his latest run and always thought he should be a bigger part of things.  He has more than earned that spot.  While it’s a step down from the World Title picture, how about Christian vs. Ambrose in a feud…that would be good stuff!

Shocked that Natalya got a basically clean win over Brie Bella with the sharp shooter.  Didn’t see that one coming at all.  The match was what it was, but, yeah, shocker there! 

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar was exactly what I thought it would be, a war.  They beat the hell out of each other and I thought the match told a great story.  Paul Heyman adds so much to these big time matches and he did again here too playing his role perfectly!  My guess is we’ll see this matchup again somewhere down the line (and Punk will get his win back at that point), and while it doesn’t appear it will be anytime soon, I personally can’t wait for it when it does happen.  Would be a great rematch to go inside Hell in a Cell in October if they wanted to do it, but I’m not sure that we’ll get that. 

Ziggler and Kaitlyn winning came as no shock, and really the match was fine for what it was and for where it was on the card.  Ziggler continues to be an absolute stand out and stud in the ring.  The guy reminds me so much of Shawn Michaels and his ascension towards the top of the card that it isn’t funny.  I only hope that when they finally pull the trigger and give Ziggler a good run as champion (and seriously, that has to be coming right?) that he shines the way that it’s clear he can.  He can be a guy you build the company around for a long time, and I hope WWE sees him that way.  Langston is also someone who will be around a long time and does great in his bruiser role.  Good placement of this match to give the fans a bit of a breather between the Punk/Lesnar war and what was to come in the main event. 

John Cena deserves a TON of respect and he’s got it from me.  He didn’t have to do the match, but he did, and he didn’t have to work his ass off, but he did.  He and Bryan had a hell of a match, and I LOVED the new finisher for Daniel Bryan. Not sure what they’ll call it, but it’s Shinsuke Nakamura’s Bome Ye from over in New Japan.  Bryan pinning Cena clean with that knee was just awesome.  Everyone figured it wasn’t the end because it wasn’t the Yes Lock, so it gave a great “shocking” finish to their match, and I like that.  Too many matches always have to end the same way, and this one didn’t…great stuff!  Seriously, if you haven’t seen this match, go out of your way and do it.  It was that good. 

With Triple H hanging around in the ring as long as he did, I saw the turn coming from a mile away.  I was fine with it for what it does, as it keeps Bryan in that under dog role which he plays so well, and eventually he’ll get the belt back from Orton.  However, I hated that one pedigree that was followed up by Orton slowly turning in the briefcase, etc. was enough.  I’d have rather seen Bryan kick out at 2 and 7/8, then have Orton hit an RKO and get the pin.  Maybe even give Bryan a moment or two of fighting back, or hell, let Triple H hit another Pedigree as well.  Just didn’t like that one part, but, in the end, I’m fine with Orton getting the title and Bryan chasing it.  I fully expect this will be one of the Hell in a Cell matches in October, and I can’t wait to see that! 

So, all in all, Summerslam is a total thumbs up as I said!  Go order the replay if you haven’t seen it! 

                                           

TOM’S REACT: I really enjoyed SummerSlam as a whole as well.  Of course, the main event and Punk-Lesnar were the show stealers for me (as expected) and I was thoroughly invested and engaged in each match.  Just behind that I’d rate Del Rio-Christian.  If you’ve heard me on the podcast speak about Jay Lethal, I view Christian in the same way.  On paper he doesn’t get me very excited, but in the context of  match I get drawn in and buy in to supporting him big time.  Let me get away from specific match praise here and go bout by bout.

 

I did not see the pre-show, but I am certainly glad that Jim did not go with his gut instinct and select RVD via DQ.  Even if this was a one-off match, I would like to see more interaction between Van Dam and The Shield.

The Ring of Fire Match was fine.  I think Bray Wyatt takes chokeslams better than virtually anyone of his size I can recall.  That was darn impressive.  The ending was creative and the decimation of Kane to put him out all made great sense in the context of the Wyatt Family.  Now I wonder who is next?

Rhodes-Sandow was really solid.  It was a hair below the World Title Match and given 5 more minutes, it might have passed it.  I love that Cody is getting his due, just as Jim stated.  I also love Sandow.  If there is someone who can afford to lose and not lose the ability to remain over, it is Sandow.  I anticipate much more from these two in the coming months.

I already mentioned some thoughts on this match in my intro, but it was really solid.  Outside of the fact that I wanted Christian to win (and gain ground in the contest with Jim), I was really pleased with the match.  As Jim alluded to, there has to be something more in future for Christian and even though it was billed as a “One More Match” deal, he can be very important in the WWE landscape – especially with Sheamus & now John Cena on the shelf.

The Divas match did have the surprising ending with Nattie getting the win.  Not much more to say, but if you want crossover and people to have EVEN more eyes on Total Divas, then why not have Brie Bella get the win?

Punk-Lesnar was just incredible.  The sheer physicality on display is a credit to both, but MAN does CM Punk just continue to take a beating.  Brock was truly The Beast, tossing Punk around here and there.  Even with the bout becoming No DQ, I could have gone without the Paul Heyman involvement…even though it makes great sense in the storyline.  There was a point in the match where I really thought Punk might pull it out, so kudos to WWE and the booking there.  I do look forward to what is next with this feud, perhaps at Hell in a Cell or maybe Survivor Series.

Maybe my perception is WAY off, but I feel like Dolph Ziggler has cooled considerably in how WWE is pushing him.  Sure, he remains over…but I feel like there is almost a cap or ceiling over him.  He cashed in and won the World Title, but instead of remaining in the chase of Del Rio he has been in the feud with Big E. & AJ.  Not that there is anything wrong with this feud, but I just see it as being a step backwards.  Perhaps it ends soon and we see Dolph back in the upper-card mix by Night of Champions.

I was unaware of John Cena’s elbow issues before the match on Sunday.  He is and has also been the consummate professional.  That can never be disputed, even if people (cough*JIM*cough) hate him for being “Super Cena.”  Kidding aside, this was just a great match.  The way that Daniel Bryan has grown & gotten over this year.  He remained relevant through all of his time with Kane and Team Hell No, dare I say getting Kane more over and they also supported the process of The Shield getting over.  Then moving on from that, his re-emergence into this amazing singles role.  He is someone that I imagine the bulk of the WWE Universe can relate to and his win of the WWE Title was so validating.  And then, with the Apex Predator in Randy Orton and the slimy Triple H doing the deed to rob him, to me it only makes the story better and deeper and with an EVEN better pay-off to come!

I agree, if you’ve not seen this show then buy the replay or pre-order the DVD!

Thanks for reading.  Jim and I will likely be back with more content here on the blog within the next week and our next podcast will come after the Labor Day holiday.  We hope you continue to enjoy the remaining Summer that is left to be enjoyed!

Head 2 Head: SummerSlam 2013!

Check out our latest podcast as Jim & Tom go Head 2 Head about Summerslam this weekend on PPV!  You can find it on iTunes, or click on the player located to the right here on the blog.  Also, it is available through TalkShoe, by checking out our page there by clicking HERE!  Let us know what you think of our picks! 

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